"The common thread linking each release lies in that awe-inspiring voice, whether Mathews employs her full Janis Joplin-esque belt or tones things down for a more whimsical feel"

- The line of best fit

MAWDis the moniker of California musician Madeleine Mathews. Citing contemporary acts such as The Head and the Heart, The Staves, First Aid Kit, and the Alabama Shakes as influences, MAWD’s sound gravitates towards an eclectic mix of genres including indie folk, folk rock, retro rock, cosmic Americana, with a touch of pure rock n’ roll. The soulful, textured timbre of MAWD is diverse and ranges anywhere from a breathy and sultry folk/blues vibe to a powerful Janis Joplin-esque/Karen O. belt. Her vocals perfectly imprint upon the sonic foundation laid by quivering electric guitar, haunting harmonies, classic acoustic folk rhythms, southwestern inspired americana bass lines, and full percussion. While her strong suits lie in singing, songwriting, and lyricism, Madeleine plays piano, guitar, ukulele, bass, accordion, and some banjo, as well.

Born and bred in Northern California, Madeleine made her mark around her hometown of Placerville by playing her original songs at weekly local open mic nights. Recently graduated with a BA in Music (focusing in music industry), Madeleine found a community in her college’s (California State University, Chico) music department and blossoming local scene while fronting and writing for numerous bands. Winning local singer/songwriter competitions and playing at all of Chico’s top venues, including two sold out shows at the renowned Laxson Auditorium (capacity 1,200) (for an Abbey Road Tribute Show) which has pulled artists and speakers ranging from Brian Wilson, Mavis Staples, Gloria Steinem, and many more, Madeleine is no stranger to performing and putting on an amazing show.

Now recording under the pseudonym MAWD, Madeleine is working with Roger Gisborne of Los Angeles based record label Sound x 3 and The Cave Studio owner/producer/songwriter Josiah Mezzaschi (Deap Vally, Built to Spill, Rilo Kiley, Kate Nash, The Jesus and the Mary Chain) to refine her sound. She has recently released her debut self-titled EP (listen here on Spotify) on May 12,2017 which was mastered by Brian Lucey (The Black Keys, The Shins, The Kills, Beck).

Madeleine has toured all over Sweden for the “Across the Pond Tour”, played countless shows across California including a sold out show at The Hotel Cafe with Larkin Poe, The Hi Hat, Sofar Sounds, Gibson Center (opening for Robby Krieger of The Doors), Youbloom Festival, Springboard Festival and played various corporate gigs at SXSW 2018. She has been interviewed by various newspapers, blogs, and radio station, been featured on Sirius XM (Rodney Bingenheimer’s “Underground Garage”), KCSN 88.5 LA Buzzbands Hour multiple times, KCSC, and KZFR Radio as well as numerous international stations.Her song “Summer in a Dream” was picked to be on Spotify’s Fresh Finds: Six Strings playlist. BuzzbandsLA named her one of the top bands to look out for in 2018. Moving to Los Angeles, CA in August 2018, in that short time she has already started making a name for herself with interest from established songwriters, bookers, producers, and more. MAWD has a new EP in the works due for early Summer 2019. You can catch her playing all around LA with her backing band “The MAWD Squad”.